Schools in Needham MA are doing their best to make sure that they have the most up-to-date method of teaching math that exists today.  Read the rest of this entry »

Time to beat the winter doldrums: the Charles River YMCA in Needham MA offers a winter respite for athletes in the area, a place to escape the elements and get some exercise. Read the rest of this entry »

'The Studio' opens this weekend in Needham MA

The Charles River YMCA in Needham MA is opening a new facility which they are calling ‘The Studio’.  Read the rest of this entry »

The Needham Education Foundation (NEF) awards grants that benefit students, teachers administrators and individuals with a focus on education and the Needham public schools. Read the rest of this entry »

Needham Golf Club has been recognized by Audobon International with a Certificate of Achievement for Environmental Planning.  Read the rest of this entry »

Needham MA has a groundbreaking initiative to help the residents reduce their individual carbon footprint and that of the town by at least 10%.  Read the rest of this entry »

Hospital Plans $30 Million Upgrade at Needham, MA Campus

Among the many benefits of living in Needham, having a world class hospital in your hometown is a huge source of pride and comfort for many residents.  The Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, formerly Glover Memorial, has thrived as a branch of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center of Boston by attracting top doctors and providing academic-center levels of care at a lower cost in a convenient location. The hospital announced recently that it plans to move forward with a $30 million expansion plan later this year to increase capacity and improve its emergency care and radiology departments.  The expansion will include at least 20 single-bed private rooms and will also include a magnetic resonance imaging device (MRI) so the hospital can perform the lucrative procedures that it currently refers outside the hospital. The hospital plans to raise $5 million from donors in the area and will receive $7 million from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. The remainder will come from funds raised from a bond offering.

For more information on Beth Israel’s Needham campus, visit the website www.bidneedham.org

                                    Elyse Marsh 

 Office: 781-237-5000

 Cell: 617-803-3571

 email: emarsh@prphomes.com

Voters asked to approve $1.1million for school operating costs and $21 million for Middle School projects

Needham will vote on two ballot questions for the schools on April 10, 2007. Question 1 asks for $1.1 million for school operating costs. Question 2 asks voters to approve $21 million to fund two middle school projects: a renovation and addition to transform the vacant High Rock Elementary School into a sixth-grade center and a technology infrastructure upgrade at the Pollard Middle School.  In addition to the override questions voters will also be asked to elect 3 candidates (for 3 year terms) to the Needham School Committee.

The Needham Public Schools website has information about both questions, including a list of cuts that will be made if Question 1 fails and some FAQs on the High Rock and Pollards projects. You can read this information at:  

http://district.needham.k12.ma.us/

The Yes for Needham Campaign is working to pass both questions.                                           

        Elyse Marsh 

        Office: 781-237-5000

        Cell:     617-803-3571

        email: emarsh@prphomes.com

A hip and inviting gourmet pizza restaurant coming to Needham

Stone Hearth Pizza Company is preparing to open its third location this May on Great Plain Avenue in Needham Center (in the former Button Box location). The restaurant will be casual enough for families, but the menu offerings are sophisticated, fresh and tasty. Thin crust pizzas are topped with handmade Vermont mozzarella cheese, gourmet salads are prepared with organically grown ingredients from local farms and the gelato is churned at Belmont’s Angelato. The atmosphere will be inviting, warm and hip. Owners, Jonathan Schwarz and Chris Robbins, have received rave reviews at their first two Stone Hearth Pizza locations in Belmont and Sudbury. Their goal is to open 20 more locations by 2012. Expected opening day in Needham is May 15 at 974 Great Plain Avenue, Neeedham Center.

 Elyse Marsh 

 Office: 781-237-5000

 Cell: 617-803-3571

 email: emarsh@prphomes.com

Contemporary Thai Asian Restaurant Opens in Needham

For those of us still mourning the closure of our favorite Chinese restaurant, Joy Luck, in Needham, MA consolation is at hand with the recent opening of The Rice Barn. The restaurant features contemporary Thai and Asian cuisine in a comfortable, well-appointed setting. In fact, the restaurant is located in the space formerly  occupied by Joy Luck.  For starters, the menu offers a wide variety  of interesting appetizers, soups and salads. Entrees (priced from $14-$22) are served with rice and include a great selection of tasty duck, chicken, beef, pork, lamb  and seafood dishes. The entrees are good sized and can be shared among the table. We ordered three entrees an appetizer and a fried rice dish for four people. The menu also features wok fried rice dishes, noodle dishes and curry entrees. The service, menu selections and presentation were outstanding. I can’t wait to go back to sample more of The Rice Barn’s tasty and creative cuisine.  Open for lunch Tuesday – Friday and for dinner Tuesday – Sunday evenings. The Rice Barn is located at 1037 Great Plain Avenue in Needham Center.  781-449-8300.

I’d love feedback from readers on your dining experience at the Rice Barn or any other Needham restaurant.

Elyse Marsh 

 Office: 781-237-5000

 Cell: 617-803-3571

 email: emarsh@prphomes.com